Elon Musk has successfully closed a $44 billion deal to acquire the social media platform Twitter. Tesla CEO’s purchase caps a six-month saga over the future of the social media giant.
The world's richest man, Elon Musk, sacked three top executives, including the CEO Parag Agrawal, in one of his first moves at the helm of the social media behemoth, according to numerous American media outlets on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the situation.
Ned Segal, the chief financial officer, and Vijaya Gadde, the head of legal, policy, and trust, were reportedly also let go.
According to the Washington Post, which cited an unnamed source, Sean Edgett, Twitter's general counsel, was also fired.
Musk tweeted "the bird is freed" in response to the reports, making reference to the social media platform's bird logo.
The firings are pending confirmation from Musk and Twitter.
The acquisition of the Tesla CEO brings to an end a six-month ordeal that saw Twitter initially reject Musk's offer to buy the company, then file legal action against him after the businessman indicated he would back out of the deal due to worries about spam accounts and unreliable cybersecurity practises.
The conversation about free speech in the digital era has been sparked by Musk's interest in the platform. While many conservatives have hailed the takeover as a corrective to Big Tech's censoring of politically incorrect views, detractors have expressed concerns that Musk's reign could imply broad slather for hate speech and misinformation.
Musk, a "free speech absolutist" who calls himself such, has criticised Twitter's moderation practises and opposed to censorship that goes beyond what is required by law. Musk declared in May that he would restore former US President Donald Trump's Twitter account, which had been suspended for allegedly inciting violence after the rioting at the US Capitol on January 6.
Musk, who had renamed his Twitter bio to "Chief Twit," rejected any plan to transform the platform into a "free-for-all hellscape" in a lengthy message published on the social media platform before the purchase deadline on Friday.
A common digital town square where a wide range of opinions can be argued in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence, is crucial for the continuation of civilization, he said, which is why he bought Twitter.
Musk, who has positioned himself as a moderate, frequently offers political commentary and has drawn criticism for his unconventional suggestions for resolving international flashpoints, like Taiwan and Ukraine.